Economizer



p 1935- G. Pl JACKSON 2,013,309

ECONOMIZER Filed April 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 'iumr zosra'rsis of the tubes available ized, is illustrated in preferred formcompanying drawings, wherein- Patented Sept. 3, 1935 p rear wOFFIC E IECONOMIZER George P. Jackson, Flushing-N. "5L, assignor to CombustionEngineering Company, 1110., New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 19, 1934;,Serial No. 721,293

13 Claims (Cl. 257-240) This invention relates to economizers and hasfor its primary object the provision of efficient economizers ofextremely simple and compact construction in which expansiondiflicultiesare -overcome.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide aneconomizer employing head- 7 ers into which the economizer tubes areconnected in which the headers are arranged in a manner to simplify theconstruction of the economizer .and to overcome expansion difliculties.

' I propose to arrange the headers so that they will constitute aleakproof wall of the heating medium passage and thus eliminate thenecessity of a tube sheet and make the entire length for heat transferwhile at the same time making adequate provision for variations inexpansion and contraction during operation of the economizer. Anotherobject resides'in the provision of an economizer of the characterdescribed in which the economizer tubes and headers are supported fromthe casing in a novel manner.

A-further object resides in increasing the heating surface of aneconomizer of the above character through the employment "of fins on theeconomizer tubes.

How the foregoing together with such other objects and advantages as mayhereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, are realin the ac-Fig'. 1 is a front View, partly in section, of an economizer constructedin accordance with my invention.

r Fig. 2 is an end viewo'f the 'economizer, the left hand half being inelevation, and the right hand half being insection on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan section taken on theline' 33 ofFig. i

' My improved economizer comprises in general,

a casingA, of sheet metal construction suitably insulated as indicatedat 4,'and a plurality of economizer tubes located within the casing.

. The casing A is'provided with an inlet and outlet fora heating mediumsuch .as flue'gas, the

inlet 5 being" preferably'located atthe top, and

the outlet 6 at the bottom of the casing. The end 1- ofthe casing isprovided with insulated doors 8 giving access to the interior of theeconomiz'er. i

The economizer tubes'B are of U-bent form and the open or free endsthereof are connected '"into'a plurality of headers located at the endportion i 1 of the casing.

in sliding contact.

The headers 9 are preferably ofsquare cross section and are arranged insuperposed relation with a slight space is between adjacent headers,

which is filled with flexible packing material as indicated at l I. Theeconomizer tubes extend crosswiseof the casing and are arranged in rowswith the lower legs thereof connecting into the upper portion of theinner walls of the headers, and theupper' heating medium over the tubesis from top. to

bottom. Provision for a drain connection .is

made at M and for a relief valve at I 5.

The headers 9 are supported insuperposed slightly vertically spacedrelation by support I.

from the casing A, comprising, in this instance, a plurality ofvertically spaced supporting members 16 carried by the casing, andco-operating members I! carried by the headers 9. The spacing of themembers l6 is such that -;each header is individually or independentlysupported from the casing inslightly vertically spaced relation, and thesupporting members I 6 and co-operating members I l are of suchconstruction that the headers are free to move or slide in the directionof the length of the tubes B. In the drawings, I have'illus'trated avery simple form of support in which the supporting members l6 carriedby the casing are of angle form, as are also thecooperating members I!carried by t eheaders,

the extending flanges of the members I! being By thus individually orindependently, supporting the headers with freedom to move or slide, 1provision is made fortaliing care of variationin expansion andcontraction between the difierent elements of the economizer. Forexample, it will be seen that since each U-tube is connected into a pairof headers, the headers will move with respect to each other asexpansion and contraction of the tube occur. In this connection it is tobe notedthat the fluid traversing the lower leg of each U-tubewlllbecolder than the fluid traversing the upper leg, so that there'is adifierential expansion and contractionbetween the legs of the tubes.Since the headers are spaced slightly apart vertically, there will be nofriction between adjacent surfaces of the headers tending to preventsuch movement. With referenceto the flexible packing l l which fills thespaces between headers, this will yield as relative movement of theheaders takes place, but at the same time, provides a seal preventingleakage of heating medium past the headers.

In order to "further insure against leakage past the headers, I haveprovided vertical seals it? at the end portions of the headers, as willbe seen from inspection of Figs. 1 and 3, in this instance comprisingvertically extending angle members secured to the portions 2E3v of thecasing and I spaced slightly from the outer wall of the headem, withflexible or yieldable packing material 2| filling the space. I r

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the end portion 1 of thecasing is somewhat wider than the remaining portion thereof in order toaccom- ,modate the end portions. ofthe headers 9 and the ;.supportingmeans therefor.

The-economizer tubes B are supported from the casing at their loopedends by; means of a .pl urality ,of vertically spaced supportingmemibers 'izffsupported from the casing by means. of

/v'erltically extending members 24; The members 2 iare provide'd withspaced slots 25 for the ception of jtabs '25 secured to the tubes as bymeans of welding. ..-Thus a supporting arrange- I lime'ntis providedwhich enables free movement Ref theitube's,relative-.to each other.

I Itwill be .seen from the foregoing, that Ihave provided a very simpleandcompact economizer in which-tube. sheets such as commonly employed intubeec onomizers are eliminated because of the novel arrangement of thetubes and .headers whereby the ;headers;constitute a sealed end wall liorthe heating medium passage. Furthermore,

arranging" the headers in close superposed relation,,the economizertubesare kept in relatively close spacing yertically of'the economizer-.so,that.the;-vertical space is effectively used,:and since,,notubejsheetsiare.necessary, the entire Qlen'g'th .of the tubes wis,madelavailable for heat transfer;

}an-economizer constructed in accordance-with my invention becauseconsiderable heating surilfac e .is thereby added without the increasein weight which would .result'if 'a' greater number'of tubesandheaderswere added in order toobtain the additional heating surface,it being pointed tout-in this connectionthat in ,order toproperly"support such added :Weight, it would-be necessary to make the casing ofheavier construction 41, claim:

. In an econ omizer, a, pluralityof headers,

'eoonomizer tubes connected into, said headers, meansmovably supportingthe headers in super- .fposed close proximity, whereby they may moverelatively to each other without friction therebetween, and sealingmeans'between superposed headers;

2. In .an economizer, a plurality of headers,

leconomizer tubes connected into said headers, means movably supportingthe. headers in super-' posedfbut slightly vertically spaced relation,and

sealingmeans for the spaces between headers.

Q3. In an economizer, a pluralityof superposed headers, economizer tubesconnected into said headers, means movably supporting said headers I asto-further increasethe heating surjface of the .economizer, Iemploy fins27 on the tub'es B. -Thisis particularly advantageous in spaces-betweenthe headers,

independently of each other in slightly vertically spaced relation, andsealing means for thespaces between headers.

4. An economizer comprising in combination,

acasing having inlet and'outlet for a 'heating medium, economizer tubeswithin said casing,

horizontally disposed superposed headers into which said tubes areconnected; 'means individually supporting each header fromthe casingWiththe headers slightly spaced vertically, and means sealing the spacesbetween headers.

'5. In an economizer, a plurality of horizontally disposed superposedheaders, U-benteconomizer tubes having their open ends connected into"said headers,- means movably supporting said headersfindependently .ofeach other inslightly spaced relation, sealing means for "the spacesbetween headers, and means movably supporting saidlU-bent tubes at theirloop portion-s.

.6. In an economizer, a plurality of horizontally disposed superposedheaders, U-bent economizer tubes havingtheir-openendsconnected into said1 headers, means movably supporting said headers independently of eachother in slightly spaced,

relation, sealing means for the spaces between headers, and, meansmovably supporting said supporting means oomprising' vertically spacedsupporting members carried ,by the casing and tie-operating memberscarriedby the headers, andsaid tube supporting means comprising ver-U-bent. tubes at theirloop portions saidheader.

tically spaced supporting members carried by'the 7 casing and,co-operatingmembers carried;.by thetubes. 5

7. An economizer acomprising in combination,

a casing having inlet and 'outlethfor' a heating. medium, a plurality ofU-bent, tubes in said casing extending crosswisethereofla plurality ofhorizontally disposed superposed headers at one wall of saidcasingintowhichthe free ends of said tubes are connected, meansindividually supporting each header. from: the casing with v the headersslightly sspaced,:verticallywmeansl supporting said tubes from :the,casing'attheir between the headers. v l

8. An veconomizerv comprising combination,

, a casing .having inlet and outlet fora heating medium, a plurality ofU-bent tubes in said casing extending crosswisethereof 'a plurality 0fhorizontally disposed headers arrangedin superposed but slightlyvertically spaced relation, means individuallysupporting eachheader-from the casing with freedom to move relative to ;its

9. ,An economizer comprising in combination, a

a casing having inlet and outlet for -a,- heating :medium, a pluralityof -U-bent tubes in'saidcas- .ing extending-crosswisethereof, .aplurality ,of

horizontally disposed headers arranged' inisuper posed but slightlyvertical ly spacedfirelation,

means individually supporting each yheader from end portions with:freedom to; move Pas; such ex: pansion takes place, and, means sealingethe .0- An Economizer m-P s gi combination,

la e si a a -iae in e endtolutlet ona heating medium, economizer tubes;a gaging,

:45. bent end portions, and-means sealing the spaces .55 adjacentheaders asexpansion.takesplace in a direction lengthwise .of the tubes;and means sealing the .spaces between the headers;

end portions of said headers providing support for the headers from thecasing independently of each other, in slightly spaced relation, and

means sealing the space between headers.

11. An economizer comprising in combination, a casing having inlet andoutlet for a heating medium, economizer tubes within said casing, 10.

horizontally disposed superposed headers into which said tubes areconnected, a plurality of vertically spaced header supporting memberscarried by the casing, means carried by said headers engaging saidsupporting members, the spacing of said members being such that theheaders are individually supported in close vertically spaced relation,and means for sealing the spaces between headers.

12. An economizer comprising in combination,

a casing having inlet and outlet for a heating medium, a, plurality ofU-bent tubes in said casing extending crosswise thereof, a plurality ofhorizontally disposed superposed headers at one wall of said casing intowhich the free ends of said tubes are connected, means individuallysupporting each header from the casing With the headers slightly spacedvertically, means sealing the spaces between the headers and meanssupporting said tubes from the casing, including slotted supportingmembers carried. by the casing, and vertical tabs carried by the tubesat their bent portions fitting the slots in said supporting members.

13. An economizer comprising in combination, a, casing having inlet andoutlet for a heating medium, a plurality of superposed headers and tubesconnected thereinto located Within the casing, means supporting saidheaders and tubes from the casing, and fins secured to said tubes toincrease the heating surface thereof.

GEORGE P. JACKSON.

